40 Chickpea Flour Recipes (Gluten-Free + Vegetarian) (2024)

FAQs

Is chickpea flour anti inflammatory? ›

Chickpea flour is also a terrific anti-inflammatory food, as consuming beans has been shown to have anti-inflammatory abilities and protective benefits against cancer — in particular cancer within the digestive tract, including colon, stomach and kidney cancer.

Other flours are made from grains, pseudocereals like buckwheat, nuts or legumes like chickpeas. All of those are vegetarian. Flour produced from cereals can be wholegrain (meaning it contains the germ, bran and endosperm of the grain) or refined (which contains merely the endosperm).

Place the dry chickpeas in the blender, and blend until they are finely ground, like a flour. Be warned– it's VERY loud at first! Once you've ground the chickpeas, pour them into a fine mesh strainer to sift out any larger pieces that might have been missed. Then, the chickpea flour is ready to use.

Chickpeas are made up of oligosaccharides. These sugars can also be found in foods like rye, onions, and garlic. This means that chickpeas can easily pass through the mouth, stomach, and small intestines without breaking down. Upon arrival in the large intestines, they ferment, causing you a lot of discomfort.

Eating chickpeas provides 40% of our daily fiber intake. Fiber maintains the health of our bowels and has even been shown by some studies to decrease our risk of certain cancers! Our body is not capable of digesting fiber. This means insoluble fiber creates bulk in our intestines and helps to flush out toxins.

Regrettably, chickpeas are not a low FODMAP food. This means they are not the best choice for the typical FODMAP diet for children experiencing an IBS flare (if chickpeas are a known trigger food for them).

Chickpea flour is known as garam flour or garbanzo bean flour and it is made by grinding dried chickpeas. A staple in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, chickpea flour is commonly found in Asian and Middle Eastern groceries, but you can also make it yourself at home with a spice grinder or coffee grinder.

With its slightly sweet and nutty flavor and powdery consistency, millet flour makes a suitable chickpea flour substitute. It's ideal for both sweet baking, bread making and savory cooking. Swap millet flour in for chickpea flour at a 1:1 ratio.

Chickpeas are what's known as a complete protein because they contain all nine essential amino acids, which are building blocks that help our bodies function properly. “Chickpeas are also an excellent source of non-animal protein,” Lane adds. “They're great for vegetarians and vegans.”

Good sources of iron for vegetarians include: pulses, such as kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils. dried fruit, such as apricots.

What is gluten-free vegetarian? ›

Essentially, a vegetarian gluten free diet would be one based on gluten free cereals, fruit, vegetables, pulses and nuts, plus eggs and dairy. A vegan gluten free diet would not include eggs or dairy.

If you store it in an airtight food storage container, chickpea flour has a shelf life of approximately six months. If it's stored in the refrigerator or freezer, chickpea flour will stay fresh for about one to two years.

While you can easily buy pre-made chickpea flour (also known as garbanzo bean flour), you'll find that making your own homemade flour is definitely cheaper, especially if you use a lot of this gluten-free flour.

Chickpea flour is used throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa to make sweet and savory flatbreads, thicken soups and stews, and add richness to dumplings and cakes. It is the main ingredient in shiro wat, a hearty, spicy Ethiopian stew laced with tomatoes and onions.

Quinoa flour is a good source of protein, fiber, iron, and unsaturated fat. Quinoa may be helpful for promoting digestive health, lowering inflammation, and reducing the overall risk of disease.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods:

Whole grain and nut flours: whole grain flours, almond flour, coconut flour, chickpea flour, quinoa flour. Full-fat coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk, hemp milk.

By improving feelings of fullness, the study authors say that switching to a cellular chickpea blend in commercial bread recipes could help people stop overeating. As the flour doesn't cause as high a spike in blood sugar levels as normal white flour, it could also reduce the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Beans such as chickpeas, black beans, red kidney beans, and lentils are high in fiber and phytonutrients, which reduce inflammation. They are an inexpensive and excellent source of protein, especially for vegetarians or vegans, and they're a low-glycemic carbohydrate. Aim to eat at least one cup of beans twice a week.